Baltimore City man fatally shot in Columbia after threatening police

Luke Lavoie, llavoie@tribune.com

A Howard County police officer fatally shot a Baltimore City man wanted for assault and other charges after he threatened to shoot police officers in Columbia Thursday evening, Howard County police said.

Percy Holland, 32, of the 500 block of Preston Street in Baltimore, was pronounced dead at Howard County General Hospital. A Baltimore City warrant had changed Holland with first- and second-degree assault, gun charges and reckless endangerment in connection with an incident involving his ex-girlfriend and the couple's 2-year-old child, police said.

According to the warrant, Holland broke into his estranged girlfriend's Baltimore residence just after midnight Thursday and threatened to kill her by pointing a gun to her head.

Police said Holland held the woman overnight and assaulted her before she escaped in the morning and contacted police. Police said Holland fled the residence with the couple's 2-year-old child.

Baltimore City police called Howard County police at around 7:45 p.m. and asked for assistance apprehending Holland, who they believed was inside a Columbia residence.

Police officers from both jurisdictions went to an address in the 9000 block of Constant Course, a townhouse community off of Robert Fulton Drive, and surrounded the residence.

Howard County police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn said police knocked on the front door and were let into the home by a resident. Holland went out the back and was confronted outside by police.

Holland, according to police, repeatedly refused to show his hands and threatened to shoot the officers and shoot himself.

Llewellyn said that Holland threatened officers by saying "You're going to have to kill me or I'm going to have to kill you," and "I have a gun, I will use it."

Police said as Holland made a move toward one of the officers, he was shot by Sgt. Justin Baker, 34, a 12-year member of the force. Police said Holland was rushed to Howard County General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said they are waiting on the autopsy to find out how many times Holland was shot. Police said a gun was not recovered from the scene.

Family members told police that Holland had made suicidal statements earlier that day, according to Llewellyn, and said that the police "weren't going to take him alive."

Police said the 2-year-old child was not at the Columbia residence at the time of incident and was located unharmed in the custody of a family member.

Police said Sgt. Baker will be placed on administrative leave during the internal investigation, which is standard procedure.